Why the Six-Day War Still Matters

Ten crucial lessons that resonate to this day.

Add "Middle East" to the equation and folks might start running for the hills, unwilling to get caught up in the seemingly bottomless pit of details and disputes.

But without an understanding of what happened, it's impossible to grasp where we are -- and where we are has profound relevance for the region and the world.

Forty-four years ago this week, the Six-Day War broke out.

While some wars fade into obscurity, this one remains as relevant today as in 1967. Many of its core issues remain unresolved and in the news.

Politicians, diplomats, and journalists continue to grapple with the consequences of that war, but rarely provide context. Yet without context, some critically important things may not make sense.

First, in June 1967, there was no state of Palestine. It didn't exist and never had. Its creation, proposed by the UN in 1947, was rejected by the Arab world because it also meant the establishment of a Jewish state alongside.

Second, the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem were in Jordanian hands. Violating solemn agreements, Jordan denied Jews access to their holiest places in eastern Jerusalem. To make matters still worse, they destroyed many of those sites.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip was under Egyptian control, with harsh military rule imposed on local residents.

And the Golan Heights, which were regularly used to shell Israeli communities far below, belonged to Syria.

Third, the Arab world could have created a Palestinian state in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip any day of the week. They didn't. There wasn't even discussion about it. And Arab leaders, who today profess such attachment to eastern Jerusalem, rarely, if ever, visited. It was viewed as an Arab backwater.

The Arab world, even in defeat, refused to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Fourth, the 1967 boundary at the time of the war, so much in the news these days, was nothing more than an armistice line dating back to 1949 -- familiarly known as the Green Line. That's after five Arab armies attacked Israel in 1948 with the aim of destroying the embryonic Jewish state. They failed. Armistice lines were drawn, but they weren't formal borders. They couldn't be. The Arab world, even in defeat, refused to recognize Israel's very right to exist.

Fifth, the PLO, which supported the war effort, was established in 1964, three years before the conflict erupted. That's important because it was created with the goal of obliterating Israel. Remember that in 1964 the only "settlements" were Israel itself.

Sixth, in the weeks leading up to the Six-Day War, Egyptian and Syrian leaders repeatedly declared that war was coming and their objective was to wipe Israel off the map. There was no ambiguity. Twenty-two years after the Holocaust, another enemy spoke about the extermination of Jews. The record is well-documented.

The record is equally well-documented that Israel, in the days leading up to the war, passed word to Jordan, via the UN and United States, urging Amman to stay out of any pending conflict. Jordan's King Hussein ignored the Israeli plea and tied his fate to Egypt and Syria. His forces were defeated by Israel, and he lost control of the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.

Seventh, Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser demanded that UN peacekeeping forces in the area, in place for the previous decade to prevent conflict, be removed. Shamefully, the UN complied. That left no buffer between Arab armies being mobilized and deployed and Israeli forces in a country one-fiftieth the size of Egypt -- and just nine miles wide at its narrowest point.

Eighth, Egypt blocked Israeli shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Israel's only maritime access to trading routes with Asia and Africa. This step was regarded as an act of war by Jerusalem. The United States spoke about joining with other countries to break the blockade, but did not act.

Ninth, France, which had been Israel's principal arms supplier, announced a ban on the sale of weapons on the eve of the June war. That left Israel in potentially grave danger if a war were to drag on and require the resupply of arms. It was not until the next year that the U.S. stepped into the breach and sold vital weapons systems to Israel.

And finally, after winning the war of self-defense, Israel hoped that its newly-acquired territories, seized from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, would be the basis of a land-for-peace accord. Feelers were sent out. The formal response came on September 1, 1967, when the Arab Summit Conference famously declared in Khartoum "No peace, no recognition, no negotiations" with Israel.

Today, there are those who wish to rewrite history.

They want the world to believe there was once a Palestinian state. There was not.

They want the world to believe there were fixed borders between that state and Israel. There was only an armistice line between Israel and the Jordanian-controlled West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.

The Six-Day War is proof of Arab refusal to accept the Jewish state.

They want the world to believe the 1967 war was a bellicose act by Israel. It was an act of self-defense in the face of blood-curdling threats to vanquish the Jewish state, not to mention the maritime blockade of the Straits of Tiran, the abrupt withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces, and the redeployment of Egyptian and Syrian troops. All wars have consequences; this one was no exception. But the Arab aggressors have failed to take responsibility for the actions they instigated.

They want the world to believe post-1967 Israeli settlement-building is the key to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Six-Day War is proof positive that the core issue is, and always has been, whether the Arab world accepts the Jewish people's right to a state of their own. If so, all other contentious issues, however difficult, have possible solutions.

And they want the world to believe the Arab world had nothing against Jews per se, only Israel, yet trampled with abandon on sites of sacred meaning to the Jewish people.

In other words, when it comes to the Arab-Israeli conflict, dismissing the past as if it were a minor irritant at best, irrelevant at worst, won't work.

Can history move forward? Absolutely. Israel's peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 prove the point. At the same time, though, the lessons of the Six-Day War illustrate just how tough and tortuous the path can be.

Visitor Comments: 25

(23)
Mark Siref,
February 21, 2012 5:29 PM

Volunteers of the Six Day War

My father has a letter of Appreciation for services rendered during the Six Day War from an agency representative named Mordehai Bar-On ...Head of the YOUTH AND HECHLALUTZ DEPARTMENT of the JEWISH AGENCY. They sent him tnhis letter with a beautiful certificate representing a TREE was PLANTED in his NAME,Mark Siref, in the "VOLUNTEER FOREST" IN THE jERUSALEM HILLS. My Father is ill and nhas never spoken of this period of his life . I found the letter and Certificate in an old trunk of his, and I would like to sit with him and discuss this wonderful life he had. Does anyone have information about these volunteers? Thank you Michael Siref

(22)
Anonymous,
June 22, 2011 2:19 AM

ONE OF THE GREAT SHAMES W ON THIS SUBJECT IS THATSO MUCH OF THE WESTERN WORLD IS HOSTILE TOI iSRAEL FLYING IN THE FACE OF THE FACTS. DOES ANY READER WANT TO VENTURE A GUESS AS TO WHY THIS IS. At least let all of us refuse to refer to the Arabs who are now living in the Biblical area
known as Judea and Samaria as "Arabs" and not " Palestinians"

(21)
tren,
June 20, 2011 11:36 AM

Bias much?

It doesn't really matter to me if Egypt did this or that. The land belongs to the people that lived on it and work it. Give it back.

Kyle Eubanks,
June 21, 2011 8:18 PM

Re: Bias much

It doesn't matter to you that Egypt attacked Israel? They had the stated purpose of wiping out the Jewish State and they lost, in losing they lost the land. Why on Earth should Israel give back what they won in an unprovoked attack? The Egyptians no longer work that land either, the people living there now do.
Keep all that was won.

masir4,
February 27, 2012 3:27 AM

win - win

warriors culture is what makes our world go around...humans have been fighting and conquering land since Noah's family started cultivating this earth...British and europeans conquered the Americas from the indians and mexicans and we could lose it today if we dont fight to keep it!..so as Israel had own that land on and off for almost 5,000 years, but today we own it again:)...Latrenda ...sorry thats life

(20)
MEGAN VANHEERDEN,
June 17, 2011 1:12 PM

A Nation that forgets its past has no future.

(19)
Beverly Kurtin,
June 17, 2011 4:44 AM

Why Do We

Why do we call the Arabs in the immediate area surrounding Israel Palestinians? They are just Arabs but most of the world believes the BIG LIE that they are an ancient people and that the Jews stole their ancestral land. Do you recall Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels? He was Hitler's mister of propaganda. He said, "“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
The Arabs (NOT Palestinians, blast it) have learned that there is no way that they can beat the magnificent IDF. So now they are using the Nazi lies and MUCH OF THE WORLD IS BELIEVING THEIR FILTHY LIES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JEWS.
Idiotic students in many colleges and universities are buying those lies with the result that Jewish students have been ill treated.
Another BIG LIE is the ludicrous claim that Israel is apartheid. WHOA! Every ARAB country IS not only apartheid but Judenfrei. So in this case they are saying "don't look at us...look at Israel, they are apartheid." Now how in the blazes anyone can believe that when Israel, like the United States, has total freedom of religion and that INCLUDES Islam!
The Arabs would not permit us to go to any of our holy places; worse, they have destroyed some of our ancient holy places.
Arabs call us Nazis when their Grand Mufti spent WWII in Nazi Germany and supported the Nazi troops! So who are the Nazis? Of COURSE, the ARABS.
It partly our fault for validating their claims by calling them Palestinians: STOP DOING THAT!
Lastly, there is no such thing as a suicide bomber; they are HOMICIDE BOMBERS, the fact that they die in the process is a side effect.

(18)
Astrid,
June 16, 2011 5:06 PM

The world needs to know the truth!

Forward the article to Jonas Gahr Støre,he is on Facebook!
He does not know this,he has given millions to Hamas,shame on him!

(17)
alex,
June 16, 2011 11:05 AM

The truth about the conflict in Israel

Thank you very much for this enlightening article.I was looking for an answer on this issue a long time ago and im glad i found this site.If only the kew this .. l am not a Jew but i love the people of Israel..Long live israel!

(16)
josef Baruhovic,
June 16, 2011 8:48 AM

Commpletly with You Mr. Harris ! But what is a reason for such behaviour of the world ? INTEREST. Europe is energy dependent of the Arabe states and commercialy connected with these states, and not interested in truth
Regards Joseph

(15)
Bernard Yablin,
June 14, 2011 8:16 PM

6 Day War

There is no guarantee that the Arab states will not start up again using the Refugee Issue.After all,Israel still needs a presence along the Jordan Valley to avoid a repetition of the Yom Kippur War.

(14)
Alex Collins,
June 14, 2011 11:41 AM

Thank you for reminding us of the context of the current situation in the land of Israel.
I am British and it often upsets me to here in our national media the reporting that ignores all history in respect of Israel prior to the end of the Yom Kipur war of 1973. In so doing Israel is portrayed as the villain. However it should not be surprising as the Jewish people and the state of Israel are a forceful reminder to the world that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will fulfil His purposes for this world even in the face of concerted opposition from the poeples of the world.

(13)
jasper,
June 13, 2011 11:41 PM

I Agree

Many arab people agree with these statements (as far they know their history), but fear for their dictator leaders make them (apparently) agree with the official route
The UN have been always a paper tiger and will continue being so
Jasper

(12)
Ann Brady,
June 13, 2011 10:56 PM

Thank you Mr. Harris for writing the truth

Israel is a jewel in the enduring crown of Judaism, which belongs to HaShem. That she survived and triumphed against all odds, in the Six Day War, is a miracle. That is why on the seventh day the soldiers could rest in victory. Sadly, many in our world remain bitter about the truth and are trying to erase history yet again. To that we must say, Never again!

(11)
Anonymous,
June 13, 2011 9:37 PM

More than Dayan screwed up '67 results

1. We liberated the Temple Mount but the Rabbis prevented us from davening up there in '67
2. The gov't & generals prevented the removal of but 30,000 arabs from Hebron - today over 150,000
3. arab interlopers in Yehudah & Shomron began to leave after the war. The gov't blocked the roads & made them return to their villages.

(10)
A. Kinsberg,
June 13, 2011 9:33 PM

Real lessons from 6 Day War

1. Only ally - God
2. We didn't always have Yerushalayim-we forgot this. So we must do what must be done to keep it
4. The fight for Yerushalayim begins in the hills of Yehudah & Shomron
5. "There is no guarantee that can guarantee an international guarantee" Menachem Begin, 1972-in response to the Roger's Plan
6. The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same
7. a. Go to demonstrations
b. respond to negative media
c. Write to Congressmen & say 'Thank U"
d. Write to Obama & let him know he betrays.
e. Donate to 'proper' Israeli groups
f. Learn a little more in merit of Israel
g. Pay attention when the Prayer fot Israel & Tzahal are read. You are appealing to God.
h. visit Israel
i. Vote 'Jewish Agenda' not Dem first or Rep first - "...im lo aaleh et Yerushalayim al rosh simchati"
j. THINK ISRAEL

(9)
suzzanne nemick,
June 13, 2011 3:10 AM

I wish my friends here in Hawaii would read and empathize with these telling truths....

(8)
Boaz Ben-Pelech,
June 13, 2011 1:56 AM

Thanks, great article.

I would make this article a must read for all leftiest loonies in Israel and the so called greens here in Australia.

(7)
Carin Staines,
June 12, 2011 11:57 PM

this war helped me to really seek my G-d

I just want to say that this war was primarily responsible in my beginning to seriously seek my G-d and finding Him.
trhis war also awakened my intrerest in israel and the
Middle East. For this I am eternally grateful.
i am always terribly saddened when people are forced to fight wars of any kind. Even for any supposed winners, there is still much grief and loss.

(6)
Aoirthoir An Broc,
June 12, 2011 10:18 PM

Really?

Do you really believe that facts and logic mean anything to the people who blame Israelis and Jews for the bad conduct of the Arab world?
I am glad that there's an EXCELLENT summary of the history though. Because when I talk to those who DO care but are just misguided, I have something to show them. Then from here they can research.

(5)
Anonymous,
June 12, 2011 8:12 PM

Squandering the 6-Day Miracle Victory

Su., 06/12/11 common era
Moishe Dayan sure messed up when he offered the keys to the Mosque back to the Mufti. Think of how different history would have been in the past 44 years.
The Moslem Brotherhood is merely a reincarnation of the 3rd Reich with a different language, theology, and clothing. The Jewish useful idiots who knowingly aid and abet them (e.g. Code Pink, International Answer, J. Street) are enemies of G-d and of their Jewish brothers and sisters worldwide. They should be treated with only scorn.

(4)
nelsonsamuel,
June 12, 2011 7:11 PM

Dream on

The Arabs in the middle East live in a dream-world. They have no leadership. They have no validity in their thinking to come to a complete understanding with Israel. The best thing that can happen is that Israel take over all territory that is described in the Torah which HaShem gave to the descendants of Jacob. The Arabs within this area can either stay and behave or get thrown out of the area. These people cannot act in a civilized manner. They cannot govern themselves. Any leadership will evevitably steal the money and fatten their own coffers.

(3)
German Corleto Moreira,
June 12, 2011 7:04 PM

Because I love the Past History written truthfully, also the present history , and hope read the future history written with decency and honesty

I have read many newspapers and magazines from many countries but I don´t feel that I´m getting informed with the truth. So I would ike to receive your weekly update list.............. German

(2)
robert waiswa,
June 12, 2011 6:06 PM

Thank for these facts and information. I STAND WITH YOU THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.

(1)
Jacob,
June 12, 2011 2:28 PM

The "bleeding hearts", "do gooders" and the
"Political Correctness" of which the enemy has none and neither respects any will, GOD willing, end up burying us all...
I would love to find the one with the brainstorm of taxing
Israeli employers of Arab workforce with a payroll tax and hand over said proceeds to the PA, to spit in his face, because now ABBAS and BAN KI MOON consider
it an "acquired right" as proven by MOON admonishing
ISRAEL on its supension...
Further proof of "acquired rights" is DAYAN's refusal to
take the Temple Mount keys the fearful WAQF was offering him, conductive to the present situation, Muslims being the de facto Mount owners and Jews prevented by the very Israeli police and army from going there (for fear of a fourth intifada ?) and from which it is par for the course for Arabs to stone Jews worshiping at the Kotel.... and everythi9ng is OK
RIGHT ??

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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